British comedian Joe Lycett really seemed to keep his word after his threat against superstar David Beckham: he shared a video yesterday showing him pushing 10,000 pounds (about 11,500 euros) through a shredder. The reason for his action? Lycett gave Beckham an ultimatum earlier this week to step down as ambassador for the World Cup in Qatar, but the star failed to respond. Today, the comedian reassures in a new video: the money he threw into the shredder was real, but the money that was destroyed came out… not. Lycett appears to have donated the full amount to LGBTQ+ organizations for a long time. “It was an empty threat to get people talking about the topic,” he says. And whether that worked.
Joe Lycett, one of England’s best-known comedians, made headlines last week when he gave David Beckham an ultimatum in a striking video that has now racked up nearly 4 million views on Twitter. Yesterday’s video in which he – after unfortunately no response to the ultimatum – chased 11,500 euros through a shredder, has already reached more than 3 million views.
LOOK. To the pennants in a flash, but fortunately not really: British comedian dressed in an eccentric rainbow outfit pops 11,500 euros in a shredder to make a point about David Beckham and Qatar.
Beckham as a gay icon
David Beckham is an icon for the LGBTQ+ community, Joe Lycett stated in his first video. He was the first major footballer to do photoshoots for gay magazines, often spoke about his gay fans and married a Spice Girl, Victoria. “The most gay thing you can do as a human being,” joked Lycett, herself part of the community.
After that, Lycett got serious. He stated that he found it “unpalatable” that gay icon Beckham has signed a deal to promote the World Cup in Qatar, reportedly for 10 million pounds (11.5 million euros). He called Qatar “one of the worst places in the world to be gay”. “It’s illegal there, you can get jail time and, if you’re Muslim, possibly the death penalty.”
Charities
According to Beckham, football is something with which you can bring about positive change. Lycett wanted the superstar to put those words into action. In the video, the comedian picked up a stack of bills – £1,000 for every million Beckham reportedly rakes in – and pledged to donate it to charities that support LGBTQ+ people in football. At least, if David cuts ties with the organization.
Quote
In many ways, my action was like your deal with Qatar, David. Complete bullshit from the start.
Beckham didn’t. In fact, he never responded to Lycett’s ultimatum. And so Lycett did seem to put words into action. Yesterday he shared the footage of him wearing a colorful coat pushing 10,000 pounds through a shredder. It became the topic of conversation.
But the action turns out not to be real, Lycett explains in a new video today. “In many ways it was just like your deal with Qatar, David. Complete bullshit from the start.” Then the comedian puts something real in a shredder: a 2002 ‘Attitude’ magazine with Beckham on the cover, the first-ever cover of a gay magazine featuring a Premier League footballer. “I asked Attitude if I could do this,” he says. “They didn’t mind at all.”
Joe Lycet
@joelycett
LOOK. Red Devils give in and don’t play with ‘OneLove’ band. Gilles De Bilde calls decision “painful” and “a missed opportunity”
One Love band removed
Today, within the same subject, there was still a lot to do about the removal of the ‘One Love’ captain’s armband at the World Cup in Qatar. Even the captain of the Red Devils, Eden Hazard, will not wear a special bond with which various countries wanted to make a statement about inclusivity and diversity at the World Cup.
Just like France, England and the Netherlands, among others, the Belgians are succumbing to the pressure of FIFA. Captains who would wear the band risked getting a yellow card for spreading a political message. In addition, the white away shirt of the Belgians must now also be adjusted, because it has the word ‘Love’ on it on the inside of the neck collar.
Peter Bossaert, CEO of the football association, says he is perplexed but defends the decision not to wear the bracelet. “This is a football tournament,” he says in an interview with Het Laatste Nieuws. “The players and the teams should not be penalized.”
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